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TURKEY CALLS ON EU TO HELP THWART ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL IN FRANCE
By Selcan Hacaoglu, Associated Press Writer
Associated Press Worldstream
October 9, 2006 Monday 5:37 PM GMT
Turkey called on the European Union to help thwart a French bill
that would make it a crime to deny that World War I-era killings
of Armenians amounted to genocide, saying Monday that the law would
sharply contradict the principles of freedom of expression.
Tension between Turkey and France has been rising before Thursday's
debate by French lawmakers in the lower house.
"We expect the European Union to express its opposition against
such a development that restricts freedom of expression in France,
because it contradicts key values of the EU," said Justice Minister
Cemil Cicek, who also serves as the government's spokesman.
"We hope such a mistake is not committed since it would seriously
damage Turkish-French relations," Cicek warned at a news conference.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sought the help of French
companies doing business in Turkey to prevent the approval of the bill.
Armenians claim that as many as 1.5 million of their ancestors were
killed in 1915-1923 in an organized campaign to force them out of
eastern Turkey, and have pushed for recognition of the killings around
the world as genocide.
Turkey acknowledges that large numbers of Armenians died, but says
the overall figure is inflated and that the deaths occurred in the
civil unrest during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. But Ankara
is facing increasing pressure to fully acknowledge the killings,
particularly as it seeks EU membership.
Turkish lawmakers, meanwhile, were scheduled Wednesday to debate a
proposed bill that would make it a crime to deny that France committed
genocide against Algerians in retaliation.
French lawmakers had caved in to pressure from Turkey and put off the
sensitive debate on the issue in the lower house in May. Under the
bill, people who contest that there was an Armenian genocide would
risk up to a year in prison and fines of up to euro45,000 (US$57,000).
At the time, Turkish legislators also froze a retaliatory bill which
said anyone who denied that the French committed genocide against
the Algerians could be put in jail and fined. Turkish lawmakers will
re-debate that bill Wednesday in an attempt to intimidate the French
lawmakers.
"Turkey cannot sit silent in the face of such action," Cicek said.
The Turkish bill was aimed to hit a sore spot in French history.
"France has massacred more than one million Algerians in history,"
a subtitle on Turkey's state television read Monday.
The Islamic-rooted municipality of the Turkish capital on Monday
announced plans to erect a monument to remember the killings of
Algerians by France. The municipality of Adana, a southern city,
also announced similar plans Monday.
Meanwhile, a Turkish legislator Koksal Toptan called for a boycott
of French goods.
"At least, we may refrain buying goods with a tag 'Made in France',"
Toptan told state-television on Monday.
Turkey has accused Armenia of not responding to Turkish initiatives
to jointly research the mass killings. Last week, Erdogan turned down
a series of proposals by French presidential hopeful and Interior
Minister Nicolas Sarkozy for reconciliation, accusing Armenia of not
responding to the Turkish calls, his office said Monday.
Among the demands of Sarkozy, who is staunchly opposed to EU membership
for Turkey, were opening the Turkish-Armenian border and dropping a
Turkish condition that only historians should represent both sides
in a joint research committee.
Last week, Turkey said it was out of the question to accept a call
by French President Jacques Chirac for Ankara to acknowledge the mass
killings of Armenians in the early 20th century as genocide.
By Selcan Hacaoglu, Associated Press Writer
Associated Press Worldstream
October 9, 2006 Monday 5:37 PM GMT
Turkey called on the European Union to help thwart a French bill
that would make it a crime to deny that World War I-era killings
of Armenians amounted to genocide, saying Monday that the law would
sharply contradict the principles of freedom of expression.
Tension between Turkey and France has been rising before Thursday's
debate by French lawmakers in the lower house.
"We expect the European Union to express its opposition against
such a development that restricts freedom of expression in France,
because it contradicts key values of the EU," said Justice Minister
Cemil Cicek, who also serves as the government's spokesman.
"We hope such a mistake is not committed since it would seriously
damage Turkish-French relations," Cicek warned at a news conference.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sought the help of French
companies doing business in Turkey to prevent the approval of the bill.
Armenians claim that as many as 1.5 million of their ancestors were
killed in 1915-1923 in an organized campaign to force them out of
eastern Turkey, and have pushed for recognition of the killings around
the world as genocide.
Turkey acknowledges that large numbers of Armenians died, but says
the overall figure is inflated and that the deaths occurred in the
civil unrest during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. But Ankara
is facing increasing pressure to fully acknowledge the killings,
particularly as it seeks EU membership.
Turkish lawmakers, meanwhile, were scheduled Wednesday to debate a
proposed bill that would make it a crime to deny that France committed
genocide against Algerians in retaliation.
French lawmakers had caved in to pressure from Turkey and put off the
sensitive debate on the issue in the lower house in May. Under the
bill, people who contest that there was an Armenian genocide would
risk up to a year in prison and fines of up to euro45,000 (US$57,000).
At the time, Turkish legislators also froze a retaliatory bill which
said anyone who denied that the French committed genocide against
the Algerians could be put in jail and fined. Turkish lawmakers will
re-debate that bill Wednesday in an attempt to intimidate the French
lawmakers.
"Turkey cannot sit silent in the face of such action," Cicek said.
The Turkish bill was aimed to hit a sore spot in French history.
"France has massacred more than one million Algerians in history,"
a subtitle on Turkey's state television read Monday.
The Islamic-rooted municipality of the Turkish capital on Monday
announced plans to erect a monument to remember the killings of
Algerians by France. The municipality of Adana, a southern city,
also announced similar plans Monday.
Meanwhile, a Turkish legislator Koksal Toptan called for a boycott
of French goods.
"At least, we may refrain buying goods with a tag 'Made in France',"
Toptan told state-television on Monday.
Turkey has accused Armenia of not responding to Turkish initiatives
to jointly research the mass killings. Last week, Erdogan turned down
a series of proposals by French presidential hopeful and Interior
Minister Nicolas Sarkozy for reconciliation, accusing Armenia of not
responding to the Turkish calls, his office said Monday.
Among the demands of Sarkozy, who is staunchly opposed to EU membership
for Turkey, were opening the Turkish-Armenian border and dropping a
Turkish condition that only historians should represent both sides
in a joint research committee.
Last week, Turkey said it was out of the question to accept a call
by French President Jacques Chirac for Ankara to acknowledge the mass
killings of Armenians in the early 20th century as genocide.